The Semifinal round of Pitch Dingman Competition saw its biggest turnout ever this year. Over 300 people packed into Frank Auditorium, popcorn in hand, to watch their friends and fellow students compete for the night’s award opportunities. With only 4 minutes to pitch and 2 minutes to answer questions from the judges, each semifinalist was tasked with communicating their story and value proposition in a short span of time. It was a tough competition, with each team giving an impressive showing. The five teams who made it to the Finals distinguished themselves through sound business models, impressive traction and a clear vision for building their startup. Read on below for a list of the finalists.

Last week, Kevin Plank and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship announced the finalists of the 10th Anniversary Cupid’s Cup business competition. The finalists come from top schools across the country including Cornell, Duke, Drexel, Stetson, Virginia Tech, and our own University of Maryland.

After successfully moving through several rounds, these entrepreneurs have proven they have what it takes to compete in the finals on April 22nd at the University of Maryland.

We wanted to learn a little more about the talented founders behind the startups in the final round so we asked them a few questions, like what are they up to when they’re not working on their startsups? And, what was their reaction to being named a Cupid’s Cup finalist by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank? They had some interesting responses!

Last week’s snow storm couldn’t keep the Smith community from celebrating student entrepreneurship at the spring 2015 Pitch Dingman Competition. Held twice annually, the competition gives student entrepreneurs the opportunity to apply and compete for $3,500 in startup funding.

Five finalists were selected to pitch their businesses to a packed auditorium and all-star judges panel on Wednesday, March 4 at Van Munching Hall. The judging panel included Asher Epstein, COO of Access Health Group; Harry Geller, Entrepreneur in Residence at Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship; Liz Sara, CEO of Best Marketing LLC; Mark Walsh, Founder & CEO of Genius Rocket; and Tien Wong, CEO of Opus8, Inc. (pictured below with Elana Fine, Managing Director of the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship).

College Park, MD – February 24, 2015 – Twelve startups have been selected from nearly 200 worldwide entries to advance to the semifinal round in the Tenth Annual Cupid’s Cup Business Competition, presented by Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. The entrepreneurs will present on March 10 at Under Armour’s global headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland. The top five startups will compete for $115,000 in total prizes at the final round to be held April 22 at the University of Maryland in College Park.

Semifinalists will travel from across the country and Canada to spend the day pitching their businesses and interviewing with the investors, entrepreneurship experts, and Under Armour executives who will serve as judges. Plank and the judges will narrow the applicant pool to five finalists who will compete for a transformative prize package including $115,000 in total cash prizes ($75,000 for the grand-prize winner), coaching from a team of successful entrepreneurs, and the prestigious Cupid’s Cup.

The twelve semifinalists represent 11 universities and a broad range of industries. They are:

For b-schools, incubators and other organizations that support startups, business competitions are very hot right now. For entrepreneurs, they can be great opportunities to flex your entrepreneurial muscles and gain traction for your startup or business idea.

However, with a seemingly endless list of competitions to choose from and limited time, how do you decide which competitions to enter?

Here are five things to consider from Dingman Center Managing Director, Elana Fine:

Applications are now being accepted for the 2015 Cupid’s Cup Business Competition, presented by Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank ’96 and the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. In the 10th annual competition, the top student entrepreneurs from across the country and around the world can compete for $115,000 in total cash prizes.

The application deadline is Jan. 5, 2015. The final competition is set for Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at UMD’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Cupid’s Cup is only 10 days away! Six of the nation’s top student entrepreneurs will pitch Kevin Plank and a panel of celebrity entrepreneur judges for a chance at $115K in total prizes. More than 1,000 people will be in the audience on April 4 and attendees will be able to text-to-vote for their favorite student startup. Don’t miss it! Get a free ticket at http://www.cupidscup.com/.

Compology places sensors on dumpsters to track dumpster volume and reroute waste pickup to skip empty dumpsters. Compology improves hauler margins by 50% by reducing fuel costs and vehicle maintenance from inefficient routing and increasing crew utilization. The team believes “smart trash” can significantly reduce costs in the $68B waste industry. Jason is a 2011 graduate of the University of Maryland.

Founder: John LewandowskiBoston, MA

Disease Diagnostic Group (DDG) has produced a rapid, accurate and inexpensive handheld device that can diagnose Malaria within one minute with one drop of blood, similar to a diabetes test. Existing alternatives include blood drops that must be tested in a lab and have slower turnaround and pregnancy-test like strips that are unreliable due to unstable storage conditions. John is a graduate student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Founder: James LiOrigin: Roslyn-Arlington, VA

Encore Alert monitors social media for mid-market brands and identifies the most important influencers and trending conversations. Brands are struggling to react to the large volume of social media data and rarely take action. Encore Alert automatically sends simple alerts to notify a brand of a high priority conversation (influential post, trending topic, PR risk) and provides recommendations to take action (retweet, write blog post, or respond). James is a 2013 graduate of Georgetown University.

Founder: Susan ThompsonOrigin: Canton, MA

Kohana is developing a quiet, compact and discrete breast pump. Current breast pumps use loud, vacuum technology that force women to pump in isolation, often making it impossible for working mothers to keep up with demands of pumping and work. Kohana’s wearable compression technology simulates hand-expression instead of high-powered suction, allowing women to pump anytime and anywhere. Susan is a 2013 graduate of The Johns Hopkins University.

Founder: Derrius QuarlesOrigin: Louisville, KY

Million Dollar Scholar (MDS) is a web-based platform that provides curriculum and consulting/coaching services to students, parents and guidance counselors to help identify and win college scholarships. College students graduate with an average of more than $25K in debt. There is also a shortage of high school counselors, with the average counselor serving 450 students. MDS provides tools beyond other scholarship matching sites, such as essay editing, resume creation and interview assistance. Derrius is a 2013 graduate of Morehouse College.

Founder: Chase KaczmarekOrigin: College Park, MD

Wheel Shields are a longboarding accessory that improve safety, block mud and enable skaters to perform more advanced tricks.These metal hubcaps create a physical barrier between the wheel and the board, preventing the accidental braking that often throws skaters from their boards. Chase is a current undergraduate student at the University of Maryland.

As we approach the application deadline, people from all over the country have been talking about Cupid’s Cup! A special thank you to everyone who has continued to support and promote this amazing opportunity for student entrepreneurs to win a total of $115K in prizes from Kevin Plank, Founder & CEO of Under Armour. Did we mention the semifinals are the the Under Armour headquarters? How does access to Kevin Plank’s professional network sound? The application deadline isn’t until January 6, so keep spreading the word! Everything you need to know is at www.cupidscup.com

Apply today for the Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship 2013 Cupids Cup! There is a total off $115K available to… http://t.co/yad55QVly2

As of today, there is one month left to apply for Cupid’s Cup. We have received many impressive applications from all over the country, and we are still looking for more. Interested in total of $115K in cash prizes? Want to compete in the nation’s toughest competition? How about exclusive access to Kevin Plank‘s professional network? Don’t hesitate, apply for Cupid’s Cup right now and impress us with your brilliant business!

It is close to the end of 2013, and it’s time to evaluate the performance of outstanding entrepreneurs in this year. Read the article about Aaron Levie and see why he is named Inc. Magazine’s entrepreneur of the year.